George Washington

he was a Federalist from Virginia who became the first President of the U.S. He was the only President with a unanimous vote; therefore, a second vote was necessary for the election of Vice President. He appointed a cabinet of advisors early in his presidency.

John Adams

he was a Federalist vice president under Washington and became the second President of the U.S. His opponent, Thomas Jefferson, became vice president. He was a qualified president, but failed miserably. The end of his term marked the last time any Federalist became president.

Thomas Jefferson

he was the Secretary of State under Washington and vice president under John Adams. He was against the Federalists' policy of supporting only the aristocrats, and instead supported the common man. His supporters formed the Democratic-Republican Party.

Alexander Hamilton

Judiciary Act 1789

it created effective federal courts in a hierarchical order. There were city, country, and state courts, along with circuit courts, and the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court was the highest court in the U.S. The act defined each courts jurisdiction and method of appeal.

Tariff of 1789

Hamilton's Financial Plan

it was created by Alexander Hamilton to stabilize the American economy. It consisted of federal assumption of all debts, including state and federal debts. Along with this, he proposed the chartering of the U.S. Bank to help restore American credit.

Report on the Bank and Manufactures 1790

it was a study made by Alexander Hamilton and was the basis for his financial plan. He stated that the future of the U.S. would be in industry and manufacturing. Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans opposed this because they wanted an agriculturally based nation.

Residence Act 1790

U.S. Bank 1791

this bank was part of Alexander Hamilton's plan and was 80% privately owned and 20% government owned. It gave out loans to the aristocracy, paid government bills, printed money, and collected revenues. It had a capital stock of $10 million and served as a depositary for federal funds.

Logrolling

Whiskey Rebellion 1794

the small farmers of western Pennsylvania rose up in rebellion against an excise tax on whiskey. This tax fell heavily on farmers who condensed their corn to whiskey. They refused to pay the tax, attacked tax collectors, and began a march on Pittsburgh. President Washington sent 13,000, and the rebels' protest quickly ended.

Democratic-Republicans 1796

this political part was formed by Jefferson and it opposed Alexander hamilton's Financial Plan. It supported the common man and espoused the belief that the best government was the one that governed the least.

Washington's Farewell Address 1797

he started the farewell address custom when he left office. It was published in the newspapers and primarily addressed domestic problems. He also stated that the U.S. should avoid any entanglement in European affairs and wars.

The Alien Act 1798

this act increased the residence requirements to become a citizen from 5 years to 14 years. It empowered the president to depart dangerous (anti-Federalist) foreigners and authorized the imprisonment of aliens during war.

The Sedition Act 1798

Rule of 1756

in 1793, England announced that it would enforce the rule of 1756. This rule stated that trade closed during peace could not be opened during war. Under this rule the British navy seized 150 U.S. ships.

French Revolution 1789

reacting to the oppressive aristocracy, the French middle and lower classes overthrew the kind and asserted power for themselves in a violent and bloody revolution. This uprising was inspired by American's independence from England and the Enlightenment ideas.

Neutrality Act 1793

Jay's Treaty 1794

this was the treaty between Spain and America, which required Britain to withdraw her troops from the Northwest Posts in exchange for many more concessions from America. The treaty was so unfavorable for the U.S. that it barely was ratified by the Senate.

Right of Deposit

XYZ Affair 1797

during her war against other European nations, France began to seize goods from neutral American cargo ships. John Marshall, Elbridge Gerry, and C.C. Pinckney, U.S. representatives, attempted to meet with French Foreign Minister Talleyrand to settle the dispute. However, anonymous French ministers X, Y, and Z required a loan of 32 million florins and $250,000 in cash to even consider negotiations. Americans demanded war after this incident.

Convention of 1800 (Treaty of Morfontaine)

this treaty was between France and America and formally dissolved the Franco-American military alliance, but required the U.S. government to pay claims of $20 million to U.S. citizens. This was the start of a long-lasting peace with France.

Anthony Wayne

the Shawnee Indians of the Ohio River Valley crushed the U.S. troops along the Wabash River. He was sent by the U.S. government to stop the Indians in the river valley. He chased the Shawnee to Fallen Timbers, where the Shawnee Indians surrendered in 1794.

Albert Gallatin

Revolution of 1800

this referred to the election of Thomas Jefferson. The revolution was the change in the political parties from the "Federalist Reign of Terror" to the "Democratic-Republicans." It was considered a revolution because the Federalists actually stepped down from power.

Compact Theory (States' Rights)

Spoils System

the saying "to the winner go the spoils" applies here. As the Democratic-Republican President, Jefferson fired Federalists from government positions and hired Democratic-Republicans to replace the, (Jefferson filtered out people with experience because of their political affiliations and replaced them with fellow party members).

Judiciary Act of 1801, Midnight Judges

the act created 16 new federal judgeships and other offices. This left Jefferson with a Federalist-dominated judicial system, composed of "Midnight Judges" that John Adams had hired supposedly on the last day of his term.

Judicial Review

Tripolitan War 1801

this was an undeclared was during Jefferson's presidency against the Barbary pirates of the Mediterranean Sea. Because Jefferson was too thrifty to buy warships, he created "Mosquito Fleet," which was made up of light sailboats armed with 2 to 6 cannons.

Toussaint l'Ouverture

he led the slaves of Santo Domingo, one of the Caribbean islands in rebellion against Napoleon's troops in 1802. This ended Napoleon's aspirations of a New France in the New World and prompted him to sell Louisiana.

Louisiana Purchase 1803

James Monroe and Robert R. Livingston purchased the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon for $15 million. This purchase doubled the size of the U.S. This purchase was an effort to secure New Orleans and provide land for future settlements westward.

Federalist Opposition to Purchase

the purchase of Louisiana meant that more agricultural states would be created, thus drawing workers away from the industry. This would reduce the Federalist's power in Congress and ruin the New England economy.

Lewis and Clark Expedition 1804-1806

Jefferson sent these two to investigate the resources the U.S. has acquired with the Louisiana Purchase. They crossed the Rockies and reached the Pacific Ocean by way of the Colombia River. They recorded types of wildlife, plants, and number of Indian tribes. They mapped the region and promoted fur trading.

Stephen Long

Hamilton-Burr Duel 1804

when Hamilton exposed vice president Burr's plot to separate the New England states from the union, Burr challenged him to a duel and killed Hamilton. Burr fled to the West so he could be among people who hated Hamilton.

Polly Case 1804

Essex Case 1805

the English courts reversed their decision in the Polly case by holding that goods could not be shipped from the French West Indies to France through the U.S. 500 U.S. ships were seized under this law.

Burr Conspiracy 1805-1806

he proposed to separate the western states from the Union and form a new republic under English protection, but England refused to listen to his plan. Wilkinson informed Jefferson of his plans for treason and had him arrested.